Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band's royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings' new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.
However the inclusion of the less celebrated and more rock orientated replacements Rick Kemp and Bob Johnson led to the most commercially successful phase in the band's existence, vocalist Maddy Prior becoming the primary focus of the band, and a run of well received albums, from Below the Salt and Now we Are Six, their first with drummer Nigel Pegrum, to their eighth, and most commercially successful, All Around my Hat, in 1975.
Still active, they have a claim to be one of the longest-lived and perhaps the most commercially successful of all the folk rock bands of the era, thanks to their hit singles Gaudete and All Around My Hat, 3 top 40 albums and even a certified "gold" record with All Around My Hat.
Tim Hart died of lung cancer on 24 December 2009, aged 61.
Seagull
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Penny is shining beneath a bright light
With another resting beside her
Maybe the light one will come back tonight
With the memories she carries inside her.
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Penny the hero, Penny the fool
The gold watch she gave me I'll treasure
They say that it's only a game after all
Apart from the pain it's a pleasure.
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed.
Penny is silent when fortunes are lost
She knows there is nothing worth saying
You're all alone when you're counting the cost
Is it more than a game you've been playing ?
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed.
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed.
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed.
The opening lines of Steeleye Span's song Seagull may initially sound like a tale of a woman waiting for her lover to return, with the hope that the light one will come back tonight. However, the lyrics quickly reveal a more complex and melancholic narrative. Penny, the main character, is described as both a hero and a fool, and is linked to memories that she carries inside her. This suggests that Penny has experienced something significant in her past, perhaps something traumatic, which has left a lasting impression on her. The line "Is it more than a game you've been playing?" also suggests that there are layers of meaning to Penny's story that are not immediately apparent.
The repeated chorus of "Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed" adds to the sense of unease and ambiguity in the song. It is unclear what this refrain refers to, but it could be interpreted in several ways. It may be a reference to the nursery rhyme "Three in a Bed", which is about three people sharing a bed, or it could be a metaphor for the tangled and complicated nature of Penny's relationships. The use of a seagull as a symbol is also significant, as seagulls are often associated with freedom and flight, but also with scavenging and opportunism. This could be a hint about Penny's own situation – she may be trapped in an unhappy or unstable situation, and the people around her may be vying for their own benefits rather than supporting her.
Overall, Seagull is a haunting and poignant song that hints at a complex and multi-layered story. Through the use of repetition and ambiguous imagery, Steeleye Span creates a sense of unease and tension that draws the listener in and encourages them to ponder the true meaning behind the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Penny is shining beneath a bright light
Penny is standing in a bright light and is noticeable.
With another resting beside her
She is with someone else who is resting near her.
Maybe the light one will come back tonight
She might expect the return of someone who is physically light-hearted.
With the memories she carries inside her
Penny has some memories that she holds inside.
Seagull, seagull, three three in a bed
Here, the phrase 'three three in a bed' is being used as a nonsensical refrain in the song.
Penny the hero, Penny the fool
Penny is portrayed as both a hero and a fool.
The gold watch she gave me I'll treasure
The singer will treasure the gold watch that Penny gave them.
They say that it's only a game after all
People often say that life is nothing more than just a game.
Apart from the pain it's a pleasure
Although there can be pain, people still find pleasure in living life.
Penny is silent when fortunes are lost
Penny remains silent when someone loses their fortunes.
She knows there is nothing worth saying
She believes that there is no point in speaking in such situations.
You're all alone when you're counting the cost
When calculating the cost of something, one can feel lonely.
Is it more than a game you've been playing ?
Is there more to life than just living as if it were a game?
Contributed by Makayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
on Bonny Moorhen
Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.
Stuart Tartan
on Bonny Moorhen
This description of the song completely misses the point in every way. It IS NOT about a bird.
It is an allegorical Jacobite-era song about Bonny Prince Charlie (the bonny moorhen). The colours mentioned, for instance, are the colours of the Clan Stuart tartan.